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fandomweekly2021-10-11 02:49 pm
curiosity) wrote in fandomweekly2021-10-11 02:49 pm
Entry tags:
[#089] Success (MDZS)
Theme Prompt: #089 - Success
Title: Success
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G / Fluff!
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: Jiang Cheng is carving a niche for himself.
“I’m telling you, Jiang-xiong, he had his tongue all the way down her throat!” Nie Huaisang stuck his own tongue out as far as it would go and crossed his eyes, then burst out laughing. “I don’t know why she didn’t slap him and run, I would have!”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, giving his bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich a sad look. It wasn’t his idea of real food but it was the cheapest thing on the menu. “I’m trying to eat, A-Sang.”
“But Jiang-xiong! He’d just finished an entire bag of corn chips!” Nie Huaisang was still laughing about the scene he’d witnessed yesterday.
“You’re a menace,” Jiang Cheng put his sandwich down. It promptly fell apart on his plate. “I think you just pissed off my sandwich, in fact.”
Nie Huaisang laughed again. Heads turned in their direction but Jiang Cheng glared and people quickly returned to minding their own business. However, no glare could stop Nie Mingjue from joining them and putting a hand on his little brother’s shoulder. The laughter died abruptly.
“Huaisang, Jiang Cheng,” he greeted, taking a seat beside his brother. “Calling it an early day?”
“Late lunch,” Jiang Cheng nodded politely and tackled his sandwich with silverware. “Huaisang’s presentation ran long. He aced it, by the way. The catering division is a go.”
Nie Mingjue stared at the mess of sandwich but congratulated his brother. “Well done, A-Sang,” he gave the much shorter Nie a side-hug. “I knew you’d be fine.”
Nie Huaisang grinned brightly. “It’s all thanks to Jiang-xiong. And he’s helping me with a business plan for my art.”
“Is he?”
Jiang Cheng looked up at Nie Mingjue’s frosty tone. It was matched by an equally frosty look. He wasn’t intimidated. He’d been disappointing his parents for decades. Nie Mingjue was just his best friend’s hot older brother.
“I thought you were busy with your family’s business,” Nie Mingjue bit into a carrot stick with a vicious snap. “Why are you filling my little brother’s head with nonsense?”
Jiang Cheng considered. He was angry but he was pretty much always angry but now that he wasn’t worn to the bone, he could breathe. And think.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the deal that Huaisang could pursue his art as a career if he could support himself with it?”
“Yes.” Snap. Cruch. Glower.
Nie Huaisang’s fan appeared. He was staying out of it then. Jiang Cheng didn’t blame him.
“Well then. There isn’t time to go over everything now. But we can show you what we’ve got so far, some time this week?” Jiang Cheng paused to eat a forkful of sandwich. “I can come over after dinner or you can come to my apartment. Whatever works.”
“New apartment?” Nie Mingjue asked, too polite.
Nie Huaisang gave up. “Da-ge. Why don’t we take Jiang-xiong to Zonghui’s restaurant? It’s got a private room. That way he won’t get evicted for letting a bull rampage through his new place.”
Nie Mingjue glared at his didi but Jiang Cheng laughed, a genuine sound of mirth that had both Nies staring.
They met for the budget meeting. Nie Mingjue was impressed. Jiang Cheng had even accounted for Nie Huaisang’s fan collecting hobby. He was more impressed at how Jiang Cheng seemed to know when Nie Huaisang needed a nap or a candy bar or a real meal and scheduled accordingly. He allowed them to continue.
By the time the gallery opening was around the corner, he was no longer surprised by any miracle Jiang Cheng pulled off, only appreciative. Especially when Jiang Cheng lent his talents to wrangling Nie Mingjue’s schedule.
“Years of practice,” was all the youngest Jiang said when Nie Mingjue asked over another dinner that wasn’t a date.
It had taken Jiang Cheng less than two months to launch Nie Huaisang’s career as an artist and both Nies were delighted. Nie Mingjue had never seen Huaisang so happy. His brother practically floated around the house.
So when Jiang Cheng’s new apartment building lost power due to equipment failure, Nie Mingjue had no problems inviting him to stay with them. He quickly learned that Jiang Cheng was a man of many wonders.
Not only was he immune to Huaisang’s whining and the perfect guest, so long as one didn’t mind his perpetually grumpy expression, but he could cook. Nie Mingjue could grill meat and roast vegetables. Huaisang could make congee and use the microwave. Their cousin Zonghui had gotten all the real culinary talents in the family.
Jiang Cheng could cook. He began making dinner every night, balanced meals that kept both Nies coming back for seconds and thirds. Nie Mingjue would have done that just to see the small, pleased smile in Jiang Cheng’s face. Even if the food was terrible. And the food wasn’t terrible.
It took almost another month before Nie Huaisang cornered Nie Mingjue. One innocent day, when Nie Mingjue was reading in the living room while Jiang Cheng sang softly in the kitchen as he put together lunch.
“Da-ge,” he said cheerfully. “Do you have a crush on A-Cheng?”
Nie Mingjue dropped the book he was reading. “What makes you say that?”
“You haven’t turned a page in thirty minutes and you’ve got a stupid little smile on your face,” his helpful brother pointed out, gesturing with the fan. “So I wondered.”
“And if I do?”
Nie Huaisang’s eyes lit up with unholy glee. “Then you better do something before someone else snatches him out from under your nose!”
Nie Mingjue wasn’t worried, but he was … um. Concerned. “What makes you say that?”
Nie Huaisang held out his cellphone, showing a conversation with Wen Xu, son of the gallery director, asking for Jiang Cheng’s phone number. The conversation went on with Nie Huaisang asking if it was for work-related reasons and Wen Xu’s very descriptive answer of why exactly he wanted Jiang Cheng’s number.
Nie Mingjue launched himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen.
Title: Success
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G / Fluff!
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: Jiang Cheng is carving a niche for himself.
“I’m telling you, Jiang-xiong, he had his tongue all the way down her throat!” Nie Huaisang stuck his own tongue out as far as it would go and crossed his eyes, then burst out laughing. “I don’t know why she didn’t slap him and run, I would have!”
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, giving his bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich a sad look. It wasn’t his idea of real food but it was the cheapest thing on the menu. “I’m trying to eat, A-Sang.”
“But Jiang-xiong! He’d just finished an entire bag of corn chips!” Nie Huaisang was still laughing about the scene he’d witnessed yesterday.
“You’re a menace,” Jiang Cheng put his sandwich down. It promptly fell apart on his plate. “I think you just pissed off my sandwich, in fact.”
Nie Huaisang laughed again. Heads turned in their direction but Jiang Cheng glared and people quickly returned to minding their own business. However, no glare could stop Nie Mingjue from joining them and putting a hand on his little brother’s shoulder. The laughter died abruptly.
“Huaisang, Jiang Cheng,” he greeted, taking a seat beside his brother. “Calling it an early day?”
“Late lunch,” Jiang Cheng nodded politely and tackled his sandwich with silverware. “Huaisang’s presentation ran long. He aced it, by the way. The catering division is a go.”
Nie Mingjue stared at the mess of sandwich but congratulated his brother. “Well done, A-Sang,” he gave the much shorter Nie a side-hug. “I knew you’d be fine.”
Nie Huaisang grinned brightly. “It’s all thanks to Jiang-xiong. And he’s helping me with a business plan for my art.”
“Is he?”
Jiang Cheng looked up at Nie Mingjue’s frosty tone. It was matched by an equally frosty look. He wasn’t intimidated. He’d been disappointing his parents for decades. Nie Mingjue was just his best friend’s hot older brother.
“I thought you were busy with your family’s business,” Nie Mingjue bit into a carrot stick with a vicious snap. “Why are you filling my little brother’s head with nonsense?”
Jiang Cheng considered. He was angry but he was pretty much always angry but now that he wasn’t worn to the bone, he could breathe. And think.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the deal that Huaisang could pursue his art as a career if he could support himself with it?”
“Yes.” Snap. Cruch. Glower.
Nie Huaisang’s fan appeared. He was staying out of it then. Jiang Cheng didn’t blame him.
“Well then. There isn’t time to go over everything now. But we can show you what we’ve got so far, some time this week?” Jiang Cheng paused to eat a forkful of sandwich. “I can come over after dinner or you can come to my apartment. Whatever works.”
“New apartment?” Nie Mingjue asked, too polite.
Nie Huaisang gave up. “Da-ge. Why don’t we take Jiang-xiong to Zonghui’s restaurant? It’s got a private room. That way he won’t get evicted for letting a bull rampage through his new place.”
Nie Mingjue glared at his didi but Jiang Cheng laughed, a genuine sound of mirth that had both Nies staring.
They met for the budget meeting. Nie Mingjue was impressed. Jiang Cheng had even accounted for Nie Huaisang’s fan collecting hobby. He was more impressed at how Jiang Cheng seemed to know when Nie Huaisang needed a nap or a candy bar or a real meal and scheduled accordingly. He allowed them to continue.
By the time the gallery opening was around the corner, he was no longer surprised by any miracle Jiang Cheng pulled off, only appreciative. Especially when Jiang Cheng lent his talents to wrangling Nie Mingjue’s schedule.
“Years of practice,” was all the youngest Jiang said when Nie Mingjue asked over another dinner that wasn’t a date.
It had taken Jiang Cheng less than two months to launch Nie Huaisang’s career as an artist and both Nies were delighted. Nie Mingjue had never seen Huaisang so happy. His brother practically floated around the house.
So when Jiang Cheng’s new apartment building lost power due to equipment failure, Nie Mingjue had no problems inviting him to stay with them. He quickly learned that Jiang Cheng was a man of many wonders.
Not only was he immune to Huaisang’s whining and the perfect guest, so long as one didn’t mind his perpetually grumpy expression, but he could cook. Nie Mingjue could grill meat and roast vegetables. Huaisang could make congee and use the microwave. Their cousin Zonghui had gotten all the real culinary talents in the family.
Jiang Cheng could cook. He began making dinner every night, balanced meals that kept both Nies coming back for seconds and thirds. Nie Mingjue would have done that just to see the small, pleased smile in Jiang Cheng’s face. Even if the food was terrible. And the food wasn’t terrible.
It took almost another month before Nie Huaisang cornered Nie Mingjue. One innocent day, when Nie Mingjue was reading in the living room while Jiang Cheng sang softly in the kitchen as he put together lunch.
“Da-ge,” he said cheerfully. “Do you have a crush on A-Cheng?”
Nie Mingjue dropped the book he was reading. “What makes you say that?”
“You haven’t turned a page in thirty minutes and you’ve got a stupid little smile on your face,” his helpful brother pointed out, gesturing with the fan. “So I wondered.”
“And if I do?”
Nie Huaisang’s eyes lit up with unholy glee. “Then you better do something before someone else snatches him out from under your nose!”
Nie Mingjue wasn’t worried, but he was … um. Concerned. “What makes you say that?”
Nie Huaisang held out his cellphone, showing a conversation with Wen Xu, son of the gallery director, asking for Jiang Cheng’s phone number. The conversation went on with Nie Huaisang asking if it was for work-related reasons and Wen Xu’s very descriptive answer of why exactly he wanted Jiang Cheng’s number.
Nie Mingjue launched himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen.